


As the Clock Ticks By

by Raithne



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: F/M, Underage Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 23:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1165841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raithne/pseuds/Raithne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We will never grow old together,” he tells her. And she still can’t read him, and will never have enough time to learn how to. He is fading away and she is still stuck, frozen in time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As the Clock Ticks By

Break has always had white hair, but he was never this old. He has never felt this old. He feels it in his broken body; he feels tired even in his ageless form. And it’s not only Albus’ effects either – the Mad Hatter is taking its toll on his already fragile body. His eyesight is getting worse. He coughs and coughs to get rid of an itch in his lung but the only thing that leaves it is blood.

But it’s a mental process, too. He’s so tired. Sometimes the only thing keeping him going is his promise. Sharon’s existence – Sharon, forever trapped in the body of a young girl; Sharon, the beautiful _woman_ despite her never-changing body – is a blessing, but a curse too.

She is much too young for him. In body. In soul. In spirit. In existence. He will drag her down and ruin the time she has left with his regrets. But he cannot bring himself to push her away.

Sharon feels it too. She is getting old. She is not nearly as old as Break, not even if she ignores Kevin Regnard’s existence, but she feels it within her bones. Her body is too small. Her mind has grown while her body remains the same. Her hands feel heavy and she is sluggish. She retains her youth, but even for that, she cannot be thankful anymore. Not when she inhabits the body of a _child_.

“We will never grow old together,” he whispers against her plump mouth one day. They are just enjoying each other’s time together, Sharon lazing over his body with mouth pressed to his, but they aren’t kissing. They aren’t doing much of anything.

He feels a sharp intake of breath, but her exhale moments later is relaxed and soft and comforting against his lips.

“I never meant to grow old with you, Xerxes. I meant to spend as much time as possible with you.”

As she says it she sounds like a grown up; a mature, calm voice. An even sound, one that makes him think of parents. Sharon would never be the wonderful mother she could’ve been. Although her voice is high-pitched and girlish, Break has long learned to listen to tone and feeling, not the sound of her adolescent vocal cords.

He tightens his arms around her, kisses her in earnest – a strong push of the lips, but he makes no move to deepen it. Sharon is content with the simple kiss as well, and brings her hands to cradle his face, move against his jaw, brush away some hair from his only eye.

“I think time may be running out,” he says, he _breathes_ , and he feels like he might cry if his body was made for such things. Sharon purses her lips, wiggles her arms from his face and instead takes his hands and moves them away from her body.

“The clock has never had much time for you,” she muses, “But you were never this resigned about it.”

He allows a mischievous smile to creep unto his face and lets the sensation of it seep into his body.

“Perhaps,” he only says, and Sharon still can’t figure out the man’s smiles and grins and smirks, but she figures if years and years of companionship don’t allow her to read him, perhaps she isn’t meant to.


End file.
